Numerous approaches have been taken to the design and construction of spare tire carriers and specifically of a type in which the tire can be locked onto the carrier or mount so as to discourage pilfering or theft. Among other problems of prior art carriers is that the locking device is not completely tamper-proof, or is not capable of accommodating a wide range in tire sizes, or will not wedgingly secure the tire against loosening or rattling, or a combination of same.
Of the systems devised in the past, U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,402 to L. M. Matthew is representative of one approach taken in which the tire is mounted on a telescoping tube which extends horizontally away from a sidewall of a pickup bed with a wedge extending through the outer or free end of the tube and is attached by means of a padlock. However, the lock itself is not inserted into the mounting tube so as to be protected against tampering, and inadequate means is provided for wedgingly mounting the tire on the tube so as to be fixed against rattling or loosening when the vehicle is in motion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,066 to R. W. Barr proposes mounting of the tire on a threaded rod and securing a lock at the outer or free end of the threaded rod with a shackle guard which passes over the end of the lock in an effort to make it tamper-proof.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,057 to D. L. Maurer the shackle portion is also protected by a surrounding tube or wall but not as a part of a mounting tube that is capable of securely mounting the tire in place while at the same time fully enclosing the padlock. Other patents of interest in this area are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,932,575 to I. J. Ware, 3,843,033 to R. A. Wirth, Sr., 4,751,833 to C. W. Stumpf, Jr. and 3,715,066 to C. L. Owen.
It is therefore proposed in accordance with the present invention to provide a spare tire carrier for motor vehicles and specifically adaptable for use on the external body portions of a pickup truck or other vehicle in which a mounting tube is capable of accommodating different sizes and depths of tires and to wedgingly secure same in place as well as to serve as a housing for a locking member so as to fully protect the lock against tampering or cutting of the shackle or hasp portion. In this relation, it is important that the mounting device be of rugged but simplified construction requiring a minimum of parts and be readily conformable for use in releasably mounting a spare tire at different locations on a motor vehicle or truck.